Wrench.



G113. WOODBURY.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18,1908.

' IN VENTOR.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

WITNESSES.

r: mmms PETERS ca, wAsmnwmN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. WOODBURY, or SAN EnANoisoo, CALIFORNIA.

WRENCH.

Application filed April 18,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. WooDBuRY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combination-Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements made in adjustable wrenches thatcombine in one tool a pipe-wrench for turning pipefittings, coupling andother cylindrical pieces, and a wrench for turning machine nuts andother polygonal pieces; the tool being convertible from one use to theother at will.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved wrenchhaving the quality of taking a firm hold without slipping when workingon a pipe or other piece of cylindrical shape, and the quality ofreleasing or letting go as quickly as the force is removed from thehandle, without separating the jaws; whereby the wrench when used oncylindrical work will not be liable to indent or deface the part onwhich it is used, and it can readily be placed on or removed from thepart without changing the adjustment of the jaws.

A further object of the invention is to secure the requisite strengthand stiffness in stock and jaws with a minimum weight of material, andin this connection to reduce the number of joints and separate piecesand to dispose or arrange the necessary joints or joinings of parts onlines that are parallel to the force or power applied to the handle inusing the tool, and not transverse to such force.

A further object is to facilitate the change and adjustment of the toolfor use on different forms or styles of work within its scope.

These and other objects I secure and attain in and by the constructionand combination of parts as hereinafter described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing.

Figure 1 of the drawing represents in general elevation a combinationwrench embodying my invention; showing the tool adjusted for use as amachine-wrench. Fig. 2 is a View of the wrench with one side of thestock taken off. Figs. 3 and at are details of the latch on the mainstock, showing the two positions in which it is set to attach the stemSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1'7, 1908.

1908. Serial No. 427,878.

of the movable jaw to the main stock when the tool is used as a machinewrench, and reduces the stem when it is desired to convert the tool intoa pipe-wrench; Fig. 3 being a longitudinal section of a portion of thestock on which the latch is arranged, showing the latch off, and Fig. 4a similar View showing the latch on.

The parts of my improved wrench comprise the main-stock A having astraight shank in two halves or parts 23, of the same size and shapejoined together on a longitudinal line of joint, and having on one end ahead a, the top face of which constitutes the fixed jaw 4 for thepipe-wrench and the corresponding jaw 5 of the machine wrench. A passage6 extending longitudinally through the head between the two jaws l-5,and continuing downward through the stock A in a recess 7 open along thefront and closed at the back 8, receives and incloses the stem B on theend of which is a head I) forming the movable jaws 141-15. The stem B isloosely fitted to the recess in the main stock for longitudinaladjustment, whereby the distance between the jaws is varied toaccommodate the piece to be grasped by the aws. The recess is of properdimensions to afford limited play or movement of the stem laterally aswell as longitudinally in the recessed handle. This stem B is bestformed as seen in Fig. 2 of a straight bar with flat sides, and ofuniform thickness at the upper part where it joins the movable head I);but for the remaining portion from the shank 9 downwards it is formedwith tapered sides, this tapered portion being finished with roundedcorners, or is approximately round in cross-section to present smoothand rounded surfaces for the handle.

Under the pressure of the hand when the stock is grasped by the workmanand the stem B is pressed into the recess in the main stock, the handnecessarily comes in contact with the portion of the stem that is notentirely inclosed within the recess, and such exposed portion is roundedto give a smooth grip.

For the purpose of setting the movable jaw teeth on are formed on theedges of the shank or upper portion of the stem, and a nut I'I havin aninternal screw-thread fitted to the teeth is inserted from the side ofthe stock through a slot 10, so as to intersect the longitudinal recess,and engage the teeth on the stem B. The nut H is fitted to turn in theslot, and the teeth being elements of" the slot, whereby lateralmovement of the stem B is permitted, and it is capable of being tiltedor set at an angle to the mainstock, without interfering with orlimiting its longitudinal movement. the lateral movement thus providedfor is to set the movable jaw in an angular position with respect to thefixed jaw, causing the two aws to assume a divergent position when thestem 13 is permitted to set out through the open side of the recess inthe main stock, and thus separating them more widely apart at the frontor outer ends than they are at the back nearer the stem.

The front and back sides of the passage 6 are curved as seen at 12 and13, Fig. 2, for the purpose of permitting the shank or stem B to havethe required extent of lateral movement without binding, the curvedfaces 1213 being situated near the top of the socket or passage soas tofurnish a fulcrum or bearing for the stem at the center of motion. Thisangular position of the movable stem being permitted under allvariations in the longitudinal adjustment, it enables the tool to bereadily placed on the piece to be grasped, and likewise to be easilyremoved after the piece is screwed to place, so that there is noliability of the wrench jamming or striking. It can also be loosened andremoved without turning the nut to increase the opening between the aws.By placing a flat spring to between the stem B and the back of therecess in the main stock A the lateral movement of the stem will takeplace as soon as the pressure of the workmans hand is taken off thehandle to a sufiicient extent, and the stem will be set at an angle bythe outward thrust of. the spring. Such angular movement is restrictedand is prevented from separating the stem and main-stock to a greaterextent than is required by providing a loop I on the butt end of themain-stock, through which the lower end of the stem B is confined andrestricted in its movement laterally, without being limited in theextent of its adjustment longitudinally. This loop I is formed by anextension on each half or part of the main-stock, the ends of which arefitted to meet and join together on a line coinciding with the line ofjoint between the two parts 28. The proper width of opening in this loopis secured by forming the ends of the extensions with ribs or portions16 of increased thickness, and these meeting together The effect of 7 ina butt joint. A pin 17 and a hole 18 in the opposing faces form a readymeans of fastening together the two parts of the loop.

In adjusting the wrench of my invention for uses other than as apipewrench, and

under other conditions when it will be more convenient to dispense withthe lateral play or tilting movement of the movable jaw, a

means is provided for fastening the movable stem in the main-stockagainst such lateral movement of the jaws and maintaining theparallelism of the fixed jaw and the movable jaw without interferingwith or restricting the scope of their adjustment. For this purpose aspring tongue 8 movable longitudinally in a groove 19 in the inner sideof the main stock on one side of therecess, and provided with a roundedhead or button 20 is arranged to slide longitudinally in the recess, theparts being so shaped that a short movement of the tongue in onedirection will cause it to engage a slot or recess 21 in the adjacentface of the movable stem B; or by its movement in the opposite directionthe tongue will be drawn back and lie within its own recess in the stockclear of the recess in the stem. The button 20 is connected to thespring tongue by a shank 22 fitted to work in a slot 23 in the stock.The recess in the stock is of proper length to allow a full extent ofmovement of the stem longitudinally under its adjustment in the recessand still connect the stem and the stock together and in line when alateral movement of the jaws is not required.

I claim 1. In a wrench the combination of the longitudinally recessedmain-stock carrying a fixed jaw, a stem movably fitted to the mainstockfor adjustment longitudinally and also capable of limited lateralmovement in the recess relative to the fixed jaw, a jaw on the movablestem arranged to coact with the fixed jaw, means engaging the movablestem for adjusting it longitudinally of the mainstock and a latch on oneof the said parts adapted to lock them, together by engaging the otherpart Without restricting the longitudinal adjustment.

2. In a wrench, the combination of a longitudinal recessed stock havinga fixed jaw, a stem longitudinally movable in the said stock, andcapable of limited lateral movement in the recess thereof, means foradjusting the stem longitudinally of the main stock, and a sliding latchcarried by the main stock, the movable stem being provided with alongitudinal slot adapted to receive the latch whereby the stem islocked against lateral movement without affecting its longitudinaladjustment.

3. A wrench comprising a pair of jaws each provided with a. shankadapted to be grasped by: the hand, the shanks lying alongside of eachother, means for adjusting one jaw and its shank longitudinally relativeto the other, means for causing one of the jaws to rock to a limitedextent away from the other one, the jaws being forced toward each otherwhen the two shanks are grasped by the hand, and means for locking theshanks to hold the jaws approximately parallel to each other withoutaffecting the longitudinal adjusting means.

GEORGE E. VVOODBURY. \Vitnesses:

EDWARD E. OSBORN, P. S. PIDwnLL.

